What once is lost is now found
by shippuudenfreak
Summary: During a Public relations mission to the Newly created Village of Commerce, Ino Yanakama is riddled with doubts and questions about her best friend, as well as herself.
1. Clubs, Parties and nagging thoughts

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, first and only warning

The two sat against the bar, quietly watching the party unfold around them. As part of a political mission, the ninja of Konaha had attended the wedding of the prince from the land of the rice, and the princess from the land of tea. It was to be a week long wedding celebration, and as Tsunade saw it, a way to strength relations with the newly formed land of trade. They were even supposed to start a academy in the new capital, which is where they were sitting at now, watching as people around them danced and drank, and in some cases, were giving each other lap dances.

"So how's Naruto coming along?" The platinum blond asked, trying to take her mind off of the merriment in front to her.

"Not so good," replied the pink haired girl, slowly taking a swig of her beer, "I heard Anko and he hooked up about two months ago. They seem inseparable." Her green eyes gazed longingly in the direction of Namikaze Naruto and Mitarashi Anko who were dancing to a romantic song. Anko was nuzzled into Naruto's neck, her eyes closed; a small smile was plastered to her face. The pink haired chuunin sighed and took a deep drink of the beer, finishing it and signaling for another one.

"Wow. I'm not sure what's worse, you or Naruto dating Anko." The platinum blond chuunin's eye's drifted across the party, bathed in its strobe lights and multitude of colors.

"What's that supposed to mean Ino? Besides Anko isn't that old." The girl replied.

"No I mean how lovesick you are Sakura." she replied back.

"Huh?"

"Look at you, you're going into the first stages of alcoholism over him. I never thought you liked him. You know because it was all 'Sauske this' and 'Sasuke that' with you." She took a light sip before resting it back in her lap.

"I don't know Ino; it just feels like I have nobody left anymore."

"Bullshit, Naruto's still there for you, and Tsunade and me and all the others."

"No, I mean someone who will like who I am and ask me out on a date sometime."

"Sakura, I'll go out with you." Ino said smiling a little bit.

"Ino you're freakin hilarious." Sakura laughed a little loudly.

She just hurt Ino though she didn't realize it. Ino chuckled a little and returned to her drink. Ino had been in love with Sakura since she was five, like a lost puppy finding a caring person in the cold dark storm. When she was five, she use to tell Sakura she loved her all the time. Sakura of course responded but didn't realize that Ino meant it. When she had announced at the start of her academy training to be a ninja that she liked Sauske, well that just changed everything. If she couldn't have Sakura, well, no one could. She had chased after the boy just so Sakura couldn't have him by herself. Finally when the bastard left they had become friends again. They had nothing to fight about so, why fight? They had rekindled their friendship and discussed the usual things girls would, cloths, eating, sex, boys (which Ino constantly put up with) and of course missions.

"Yeah I am." Ino replied a little pained. She finished off her beer and signaled for another one, her fourth.

"You're a good friend Ino." Sakura said as she watched Anko and Naruto share a brief, tender and hungry kiss. They walked over to the bar, Naruto in a pair of slender jeans and a tight black muscle shirt and his hair was in its usual messy form. Anko was in a black muscle shirt as well that barely covered her bust and a skirt, her purple hair was down to her mid back and was well brushed. She was hanging onto Naruto's chest.

"Hi guys." he said sitting down to the right of Sakura.

"we are girls Naruto." she replied taking a light sip of the amber liquid.

"Well sorry Sakura." he replied rubbing the back of his neck and grinning. His eyes were vibrant and mischievous, his whiskers stretched barely visible, almost translucent in the colorful ambient light.

"It's okay Naruto." She replied. She stuck two fingers up and the bartender bought over two beers. She handed one to Naruto and another reluctantly to Anko.

"So how are you and Naruto getting along?" Sakura asked, her bitter tone almost disguised by the music.

"Oh were getting along great." she replied using her hands. Not a good sign for Sakura.

"Oh well that's good. So where are you so far?"

"Third base." she replied taking a sip of the amber liquid. Ino's Sakura's and Naruto's jaw's dropped.

"T-th-third base?" Sakura croaked.

"Anko! I thought you said you'd be good this evening!" Naruto said sternly blushing a bit.

"I couldn't help it." she shrugged.

"You're a bad girl." he said.

"Oh and I do hope I get spanked tonight." Anko replied grinning cheekily. Naruto blushed again.

"You are such a bad girl tonight that I might just have to...tie you up." he replied. It was Anko's turn to blush.

"Then what, Master?"

"Holy shit the sexual innuendo with you two is unbearable!" Ino yelled at the two.

"Sorry Ino. Sorry Sakura." Naruto replied. He swung the bottle up to his lips and chugged the ice cold bear down.

"Why aren't you two dancing with men at the moment, or doing something then drinking?" Anko asked looking thoughtfully at the two.

"I don't really know." Sakura replied.

"I guess it's just drinking time today." Ino spun around on the bar stool and giggled.

"Unless you two are trying to have a moment together and one of you is trying to admit the love for the other." she said plainly. Naruto who was on another beer choked and Anko turned and patted him roughly on the back. Ino had a huge large blush on her face which wasn't visible on her face thanks to a slow romantic song which had dimmed the lights. Sakura's face was that of a pure disgust.

"Is there anything that you can't talk about? Do I honestly look like a lesbian? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey just because you've never tried it doesn't mean you shouldn't knock it." Anko replied looking back at Ino and Sakura.

"What you have?" Sakura laughed at her cunning, which was actually quite dull at the moment.

"Yes." Naruto who was back to drinking choked again for the second time on another beer.

"Wh-what?" Ino's jaw dropped. Anko had been with a girl?

"Oh yeah, there just as good as men in sex there pretty an all that." she replied with a mischievous grin.

"You can talk about anything, can't you?" Sakura asked

"Yes."

"So then why are you with Naruto if girls are so great?" Ino asked polite as the alcohol running through her veins would allow of her.

"Well girls can be downright bitches, always hungry for sex and complete bitches towards you. Not all but most. Then you have guys who can be the same way. Then you have Naruto. Kind, sweet, brave, loving, and a generally admirable person. Don't get me wrong, I'm not all straight, I'm bi, and if it weren't for him, I'd get the two of you so drunk as to go back to the hotel and do naughty things." Naruto choked on his beer for the last time.

"Okay well I think I'll go sit over there." he said pointing at a bar stool at the end of the counter. He got up and moved.

"I think I'll go as well." Sakura commented. She also move towards the seats at the end of the bar, leaving Anko and Ino sitting almost side by side. Anko moved closer to Ino.

"So how long?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"how long have you loved her? Or are you just trying to get into her pants?" Anko smirked

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ino drew her hand to her face as if to draw off an attacker.

"You didn't think I saw that blush on your face?" she replied.

"Oh fuck. You saw that?" she said exasperatedly.

"No but you just told me, and besides, when I said what I said you tensed up." Ino rested her head on the counter and began to bang it gently against the counter.

"Great now this'll get out and everybody'll know and someone will tell Sakura and I'll be fucked, and not in the good way. I wish I could find out if I really were gay or not. I just, need answers."

"Do you love her?" Ino sat up and turned to Anko, her eye's alight with passion and lust.

"More then you know." Anko sighed and took a sip of the beer she was holding.

"Look there's two ways to figure that out. One is to go visit a psychiatrist and the other is to experiment with the opposite sex, and because option one is too damn expensive, you and I are going clubbing."

"What about Naruto and Sakura?"

"I'll tell Naruto the truth, tell Sakura you're going somewhere and you'll meet her back at the hotel room."

"What he's okay with it?" she asked dumbfounded.

"Oh yes, he said, and I quote "As long as it's not a guy Anko-chan I'm fine with it." end quote."

"Wow. Why'd he let you do that?"

"Oh he reasoned that as long as it wasn't another guy trying to shove his junk into my trunk I could fuck any girl I want. To put it bluntly. He also said maybe I could bring home said companions and maybe we could have 'fun', which it always is."

"He-you-the"

"Times a wasting! Let's go Ino." She got up walked over to Naruto and whispered into his ear.

"Well you dirty girl. I love you, see ya soon." He laughed. Ino walked over.

"Sakura this party sucks, I'm going out to a club or something." she stated quietly enough that no one around her could hear her. Sakura merely through her hand forward in the universal 'whatever-I-don't-give-a-fuck' sign. Ino walked outside of the massive recreational hall into the crisp cool air. The trees lining the streets were bare, the sidewalk was cold and there was a thin layer of ice on the sides. Her breath misted in the air. It was winter.

She had always loved it, as much as summer. It was cold but it made you hold on to something to keep warm. As if proof a couple with a child walked past her on the opposite side of the street. She smiled a little.

"Alright, play times over, time to go clubbing." Anko said from behind her. Ino jumped.

"Jesus you scared me!"

"I should, I'm a ninja, and I shouldn't have because you're a ninja." Anko said seriously.

"Follow me Yanakama."

"Again, just Ino."

"Come on Ino." she waved her hand forward and Ino followed down the street in the cold and darkness.

The two ninja walked down the street for a while, the cold wind flaying them alive. They finally came to stop at a Wal-Mart. (look I don't know. I came up with it, roll with it!)

"What the hell are we doing here?" Ino asked, looking over at a bemused Anko.

"You can't go dressed like that, no one will even want to touch you." she shrugged.

"WHAT"S WRONG WITH MY OUTFIT!" she yelled She wore tight black jeans and a black vest which cut out at her midriff. A long trench coat was over top. Her hair was in the usual Ponytail.

"There's a lot wrong with you." Anko replied.

"What do you mean I have every guy in-"

"Repeat what you just said."

"I had every guy in the club l-"

"Exactly. Every guy. You specifically said you wanted to get it on with a girl."

"What! No I said I wanted to find out if I were gay or not." she said blushing heavily

"What other way is there?"

"ah hell."

About twenty minutes, a black skirt, stockings color eye liner and assorted pairs of scissors, dog collars and chains Ino was finished. She was now in a very short skirt that barely went halfway down to her thighs; the stockings they had bought were shredded up into long strips and wound around her legs in exotic styles. Chains hung from her waist down. Her vest was gone, replaced by an open V-neck shirt, stretched out to the point that it went down to her midriff, she had lost her bra and her hair was now down and was darker with green highlights, almost making her appear perfectly Gothic.(as my classmates would say, she looks gothin.)

"Well a good job if I say so myself." Anko said, holding her fingers in a picture frame like style.

"I look so...Gothic." she finished, looking at her legs in disgust, "And my legs are too pale."

"Exactly what I set out to do."

"Yeah but why Gothic?"

"Have you ever even seen a Goth girl? They have everyone looking at them, especially the troths."

"The hell is troth?" Ino asked raising an eyebrow.

"Tramp Goths, they dress in skimpy clothing that especially draws women. I don't know why, just like looking."

"Okay."

"Alright to the club, for real this time!" Anko shouted as she pumped her fist in the air. They walked for blocks through the now metropolis city to a little club at the edge of town.

"I give you: ciel de deux cerises: two cherries heaven. The only pure Bi bar in town. Tonight you either are getting laid by a man or woman but you are not leaving until you have been." Anko said glorifying the place. It was a large storage warehouse, probably turned into the hottest club in the city.

"Stay with me Ino and I'll teach you what you need to know." Ino followed Anko to the front entrance, skipping past a long line of people waiting in line. A perky woman with a loose fitting track suit stopped the two at the door.

"la réponse à la vie l'univers et tout ?" she asked in flawless French

"Quarante-deux." she replied back in French. The girl smiled and opened the door to the club, thin smoke rolling out and speakers blasting. The two entered.

The music was loud and intense. Girls were dancing in cages above the audience, their bodies reflecting the light. A multitude of people were on the dance floor, most girls. There were booths to either side of the floor and a bar ran on either side of the speakers, so the one could actually talk and be heard. The DJ station sat in the middle of the two speakers, in the middle of the whole club, and the office was over that, giving anyone a clear view of the entire club. Ino followed Anko through the throng of dancers, and immediately felt her face flush at some of the looks the people on the dance floor gave her. They sat at the bar. At the left handed speaker.

The bartender, a slim brunette in her late twenties had looked at the two and immediately bought out a bottle of scotch, aged twenty years. She left the two with the bottle and shot glasses.

"So now what?" Ino asked looking at Anko. She merely shrugged and poured herself a shot, quickly draining it.

"I said I'd take you here but ultimately it's your choice Ino. Who you hit it off with is your problem. Now, I'm going to go sit at a booth and wait for girls, you do whatever." and with that she left, taking the bottle of scotch and the glasses.

She turned around and ordered a Sam Adams Boston lager. She had liked the taste of the beer on the last two occasions she had it. She sat at the bar, watching nothing in particular and sipping her beer. She was tapped on the shoulder in the middle of a long gulp. She turned to her left and was greeted by a knockout of a girl. She had raven black hair, like Sauske's , Green eye's that were intelligent, and a jade green at that, Her face was about the same shape as Sakura's, except for the black lip stick and the few light freckles on her cheeks. She was in a tight button up, white shirt, her nipples clearly visible through the fabric. She wore long tight black jeans.

"Like what you see?" she asked, wrapping an arm around Ino's waist and bringing her closer to her. Ino just nodded. This girl was beautiful. Where Sakura hardly wore anything of eloquence, this girl had swept Ino off of her feet, and she had just started talking.

"Yes."

"My name is Sarooko. I assume yours is angel?" she grinned a small bit, the white teeth in her mouth in heavy contrast to the black hair and throbbing lights. Ino blushed again.

"It's Ino. Nice to meet you Sarooko."

Sarooko put her face in the nape of Ino's neck and inhaled ever so slightly before pulling back out and sitting on the stool to the side of her.

"Sooo, going anywhere?" she asked. The bartender came over with another Sam Adams for Sarooko. She was obviously a regular.

"Naw, just came here for tonight." she replied as she lifted the beer to her mouth.

"What for?" She asked, leaning in as if it were a world changing secret.

"you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"Well there's this gi-"

"-girl and you're not sure whether you like her or not, and in you confusion you decided the only way to tell was by experimenting." Ino's jaw opened and closed a few times, like a fish gasping for air. Sarooko just grinned at the girl.

"You're not the only one, my angel." she cooed. Ino went back to her beer, pausing to take a long gulp, almost draining it.

"So what do you want from me?" she asked, turning her head back to the girl. Sarooko had taken her hand off of Ino's waist and was combing it through her now green locks.

"It's obvious, isn't it? You want to know for sure, and I want you. You're gorgeous and I feel great. How about it?"

"Wow, to ask me straight out without getting me drunk, that takes balls." She smirked. Sarooko gave a quick laugh.

"So how about it?" Her green eyes sparkled, with passion or lust, Ino did not know but only one word came to mind.

"Yes." Sarooko grinned, setting her beer down and wrapping her other arm (the one not going through Ino's lush locks) around her waist. Their noses touched as they looked into each other's eyes.

"You want to go back to my place?" she asked.

"S-sure." The two got up, Sarooko letting go, and then wrapping an arm around Ino's waist, and walked out the door. Ino looked back to see Anko grinning at her, flanked on either side by drop dead sexy girls. She waved her fingers good bye at her. The grin was Intoxicating because soon Ino and even Sarooko had a grin plastered to their faces, as they left the club. They walked around the block and stopped at a Shelby GT 350 mustang as Sarooko dug out her keys.

"Nice car." she commented. Sarooko moved around to the other side, opening the door and getting in. Ino did the same.

The car hummed to life, purring like an oversized metallic cat. They drove, down the road in silence. Ten minutes later the two exited the car and Stood in front of a tall two story house with a flat roof.

"Well come on." Sarooko motioned the girl into the house, the door standing ajar.

There was no backing down now. If Ino went into the darkness, with Sarooko, she'd be a new woman. If she didn't, she'd still be the scared thing she was, and would probably never be able to ask Sakura, or any other girl for that matter. She walked up the steps, fist clenched in caution, almost standing rigid. Sarooko pushed the door open, so that the faintest outlines of a table in the dark place could be seen from outside, due to the moonlight. She walked Inside, Sarooko following closely. She closed the door and locked it. Ino felt her heart jump and a tingle shoot through her spine. She shivered. She wanted out, She wanted in. She wanted to win, not like this though. She felt the footsteps echo across the floor, which she assumed was hard wood from the sound. A moment later, Sarooko's arms wrapped themselves around her waist from behind; she laid her chin on Ino's shoulder. Her breath was hot on the back of Ino's neck, calm, like a hunter waiting for the shot.

"I think I need a drink first." Ino commented

CLIFFHANGER!


	2. Waking in the Nude, and recollections

Chapter 2: the second night

Golden rays filtered into the room, catching the dust in the air and somehow making it seem graceful. Ino opened her eyes slowly, and clutched her head with both hands. She was in a queen size bed with white linen sheets and a large comforter over top of her body. Her nude body. Ino sat up quickly, a feat she instantly regretted as her brain began to pound against her skull. She lay back down as gently as possible and looked around the room. It was simple, white lacy curtains along the windows, the walls white, a dresser/mirror stood in the corner of the room. She felt the pain intensify as she looked at the amber rays of light seeping in through the widows. She watched for a little while as the gray dust moved in swirls and rocked like a sea.

She lay her head back and smirked, offering up a small laugh as too not hurt her head. A sea would be the perfect thing to describe her relationships thus far. The few men she had dated, were either snobs, pigs, assholes, or didn't care. Now she was in a woman's house, lying in her bed, nude, and she didn't care. She closed her eyes a few times trying to get rid of the headache. Ino moved her legs around a bit, trying to get comfortable, and ended up on her side starring at the empty side of the bed. She sighed and rubbed her hand against the empty side. Sarooko had spent so much time on one side of her bed that she had left an indent of her body. Ino side as she grabbed for Sarooko's pillow. She needed something to hold for some strange reason. She inhaled her scent. It was Axe, mixed with cherries and strawberries. She felt her eye lids droop and fell asleep a few minutes later, happily holding Sarooko's pillow.

Ino awoke a few hours later, the pounding headache she once had gone. The once radiant amber light was replaced with a more russet color. She groaned as she got out of the bed, the sound of running water coming from downstairs. She looked around for anything to cover her frame and finally happened upon a black tee and a pair of sweatpants. It wasn't the underwear she had hoped for but she gladly put it on. The only problem was the sweatpants were a bit too large and would slide down a bit till it caught on her hips. She didn't bother fixing them. She was trying to impress this girl wasn't she? She steadied herself on the wall as a sudden bought of dizziness washed over her.

She found the door and walked down the whole and down the stairs to the corridor she had entered through last night. Ino turned to her left, Sarooko's back was and she was standing over a stove. She was also in sweatpants, with the Abercrombie and Fitch logo plastered across her ass, which made it all the nicer. Sarooko also had a gray sweatshirt on and her once raven hair was down. Ino walked into the kitchen and sat down at a stool beside the solid granite island.

Ino looked around the kitchen. The cabinets were beautifully stained a rich dark color, like that of tobacco. The tile matched nicely to the cream color walls and in the corner laid a richly crafted table with two equally fine chairs that were...gathering dust? She turned back to the girl at the stove. Sarooko was standing mixing something with a wooden spoon in a large pan. Ino got up and walked over to her. She wrapped her arms around the slightly shorter girl. Sarooko shuddered. She turned her head towards Ino. Her face formed into a large toothy smile. It was unusually white.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a train ran me over."

"Well I guess I'll fill you in over dinner?" She asked.

"Dinner?" Ino raised an eyebrow.

"Well yeah it about seven." she responded.

"How long was I out?" Ino asked gazing at the concoction in the pan. Lots of vegetables, cashews, peanuts and chicken

"Oh about sixteen days." she replied turning back to stir the food.

"oh six- HOLY SHIT! SIXTEEN DAYS? THEY'RE ALL GONE!" Sarooko giggled a bit and shook her head.

"Sorry, it's been about a day. You were in a bad way before." She put down the spoon on the stove and got two plates from the cupboard.

"Stir fry?" Sarooko asked, scooping out a generous portion onto her plate.

"Sure. What do you mean a bad way?" Sarooko put some onto the other plate and handed it to Ino. She took out to forks, also handing one to Ino and walked out to the front room before turning on her TV. Ino followed after her and sat down on a plush leather sofa. She sat her plate down on the coffee table in front of her. Sarooko turned down the volume of the flat screen and looked at Ino.

"Look, last night, we didn't have sex, though we were in bed together naked." she allowed as soft smile to trace her lips.

"Sooo...what happened?" Ino asked turning to the mute images flashing on the screen before her. Sarooko laid her head on Ino's shoulder, her breath hot on the back of Ino's neck.

"Well you got drunk." Ino's head jerked around and looked down on Sarooko. She looked spent, physically and mentally.

"How?" She raised an eyebrow. Sarooko curled herself into the fetal potion, her hands clasped together between her legs.

"Well we were about to do it and you said you needed a drink." She paused. Her voice was strained, further alerting Ino to the fact that this girl was tired.

"Go on." Ino replied lowering her eye brow and drawing a look of concern. Sarooko didn't sound right.

"Anyway, I went to take a bath, and when I came back you were gone, and half of my liquor cabinet was gone, as well as the majority of your closes, save for your bra and panties, which I think are cute by the way." Sarooko turned her head upwards to Ino, who drew a large blush, akin to strawberries not yet ripe.

"Thanks." she replied

"You're welcome. Anyway I went out looking for you, it was easily Zero and you were out there. I walked around for a while looking for you desperately. Then it began to snow hard, it being winter and all. I went back and you were on the front lawn, passed out and a light film of snow upon you I-" she paused as she coughed violently into her hand.

"Are you okay?" Ino asked, measured caution in her voice.

"I'm fine. Just a little cold. Anyway, I dragged you inside, you were running a fever and you threw up on yourself, which was good news because you had most of the alcohol out of your system. I stripped you naked, Denied temptation and threw you in the shower, and washed you." Ino blushed again, this time Sarooko had a cheeky grin on her face.

"Wow."

"Anyway you had a really high fever and even after putting blankets over you, you were still cold, so I stripped down and held you for warmth. Best night of sleep in my life." She coughed again and closed her eyes.

Ino took the remote off of the table and turned off the TV. She ran a hand through Sarooko's raven black hair and bent down. Sarooko's breath was shallow and even, she was asleep. She sighed. It had been her fault. Sarooko had probably walked around for at least an hour in the biting cold trying to find her. She wanted to thank her, for watching out for her, for taking interest where others wouldn't. She craned her lips down and gently kissed Sarooko on the lips. It was sweet and innocent. She warped her two arms around Sarooko and held her for a while in the dark. They hadn't even eaten yet. Ino realized that she didn't want to eat, and the feeling coming from the pit of her stomach was not for food, but rather for Sarooko. She ran a hand through the sleeping girl's hair, sitting there in silence for what felt like Hours. Finally she carefully removed Sarooko from her and got up. She wished she could spend more time with the girl but she had to get back to the other ninjas. She went into the kitchen and found a pen and paper. Ino jotted down a quick note then went upstairs to retrieve a blanket. She carried the blanket it down and quietly descended the stairs. She placed the black comforter on the girl and longingly tore her eyes away from the form.

Xxxxx

To get back to the place she was before took a long time, especially this time of night in an unfamiliar city. She walked past poor beggars, hookers and all forms of unsavory life that seemed only to come out at night when light could not touch their rotting form. Several times cars pulled up to her and asked her perverted questions. Several times she had to side step an alley way to avoid being mugged by a group ahead that had a particularly malicious glint in their eyes. Such was life in any city even beloved home of Konaha, tough villages and cities with ninja were usually without much in the way of crime. Sometimes it helped to know that there was a force of bad asses outside ready to kick your ass if you ever made trouble.

The group of Konaha ninjas was gathered around her. She was sitting in a large booth, explaining what had happened yesterday. A few of the ninja, Choji, Shikamaru, Kurenai, Hinata, Shino, Sakura and Kiba, were at a separate booth, having not wanted to hear about what happened to Ino or the fact that she had fallen for a girl. They had simply branded her gay forgotten about her feelings and went about their lives at the small bar. What really hurt was the fact that Sakura was acting like she didn't even know her any more. Like she was an outcast. She sighed.

"Well we're glad that you found someone Ino." Tenten commented. A large grin was plastered to her face.

"Yeah it's nice with a girl isn't it?" Anko smirked.

"GOOD LORD WOMAN! Do you ever stop talking about being with a girl? Do YOU EVEN LIKE ME?" Naruto yelled.

"Of course I like you. Hell I love you!" Anko yelled back

"Yeah?"

"Ye-" and Anko was stopped by Naruto's lips falling upon hers. She wrapped two arms around the younger, taller boy and continued about there make-out fest. Everyone else in the booth turned to Ino.

"So," Tsunade began "What's she like?" Ino blushed a bright red.

"Uh I don't think you should ask a question like that, Tsunade-sama." she replied. Her voice had cracked and she had become as stiff as a board. Tsunade laughed.

"Oh come on Ino! Really, what's she like?"

"She's really nice, and is kind and is just the kind of person who you feel warm around. You just don't want to leave her."

"I know how that feels" Tsunade replied quietly, she took a drink of sake.

"I'm going to go see what Sakura is up to." Ino got up from the booth.

"Ino wait." Tsunade grabbed her arm gently, "Sakura may be different to you now. Be careful"

Ino had no idea what she meant so she just nodded. She walked over to the booth Sakura was sitting at. She was on the end, dressed in a light pink shirt and black pants. Her face lay against the table service with her eye's closed. Ino walked over and placed a hand lightly on Sakura's shoulder.

"Sakura?"

"Go away." she whispered. Her eye's flung open and she got up. She walked away from Ino, who began to follow after her. The pinkette weaved in and out of the party goers. Ino merely pushed them out of the way. What was bugging Sakura? The platinum blond followed Sakura into the bathroom.

"Sakura?" Ino asked looking around the darkened room. She felt someone shove her and slammed into the corner. Then someone was pressing her against the wall. A

"sa-sak-sakura?" she whispered painfully. Her face came into view. Sakura had a complete look of disgust and anger across her face, every muscle tense.

"Sak-Sakura why are you doing this?" Ino asked. The pinkette buried her knee into Ino's stomach.

"I really, Really hate gays."

"Why Sak-" Sakura pushed harder into Ino's gut.

"Did I ever tell you what happened to my father?" She looked at Ino carefully. Eyes full of contempt and hate. She sighed and moved her head to Ino's ear.

"My father" she said quietly, "Worked as hard as he could to provide for my mother my sister and I. Do you know how hard it is being a non-ninja caravan guard Ino?" she whispered quietly into her ear again. She pushed even harder into Ino with her knee; there were two loud snaps as Ino's Lower ribs cracked. Ino let out a sharp gasp of breath and clenched her teeth in pain to prevent any screaming.

"You see," she continued quietly, bringing her head closer to Ino' ear, "One evening I had caught Mom in bed with another, a blonde lady, I was four Ino. She told me that was what friends did, they hugged in bed naked. "She paused and swallowed and practically moved her mouth into Ino's ear.

"I remember telling dad and him getting this sad hurt face. I remember the arguing, the yelling. I remember my mother packing and leaving the next day. My sister was two years older than I. eight years later she left, proclaimed as a lesbian. My father tried. He tried so hard to convince her that it was just a stage. She didn't believe him, two years ago, her partner to be committed suicide, and my sister tried, and failed horribly. She's now mentally handicapped Ino. With the ideas and mentality of a five year old. Father couldn't take it, signed up for every A class mission he could."

"Sa-Saku-Sakura I- AH" again with the knee.

"So you see I really hate gays. They tore my family apart. They took away my mother. Made my sister handicapped and my father suicidal. So you won't mind, will you? , if we're no longer friends?" Sakura put her ear to Ino's mouth.

"No objections Ino?" Sakura asked with infliction and mockery. Ino could only grunt, and could barely breath by now.

"Good." Sakura got off the girl "sit and think awhile, don't catch-up."

Yamanka Ino sat there gripping her ribs. She sat there for a long while, unbeknownst to her, a rib had punctured her lung, which is what made it so hard to breath. She was slowly blacking out.

She closed her eyes and panted. Her best friend in the whole world, the girl she wanted to be with originally, Haruno Sakura. Now? Shit seemed to have gone topsy turvy. She had found what? She was a lesbian right? This wasn't just some phase? No, she had found, hesitantly to admit it and reluctant to call it, a girlfriend in Sarooko.

"_I'll just rest awhile here until I can get up."_ She thought

"Oh Shit Ino!" someone said before she blacked out.


	3. Inquires on the practical use of ninjas

This is a lemon chapter, for our safety you have been warned.

Ino awoke in her apartment room. It was early morning, but thick gray black clouds foretold of snow in the coming hours. She walked out of her bedroom and into the small living space of the house, where two figures were lying on a couch. Ino titled her head forward and saw blonde hair mixed with brown, then slowly went over and peeled the covers off. Shizune lay on Tsunade's chest asleep, and bare back, but also covering the Hokage's bust.

"See something you like?" Ino Turned a bright Red color and slowly looked up at the now smiling Hokage.

"Forgive me I-"she bowed but then shot up, hand at her sides and for the first time noticed bandages.

"Yeah you got pretty beat last night. Do you remember what your attacker looked like?" she asked running a hand through Shizune's locks. Ino thought for a moment. If she told on Sakura there would be horrible consequences, but…

"No I don't know, they had a mask on." She replied in a full downright lie. Shizune stirred then buried her face deeper into Tsunade's neck who smiled at the younger woman.

"Hey sorry I kind of walked in and disturbed you like this." Ino bent her head down and rubbed the back of her neck in the 'I-embarrassed-myself/others-and-am-sorry-for-the-inconvenience -please-forgive-me' sign.

"It's alright. So how do four broken ribs and a punctured left lung feel?"

"I feel horrible."

"Shizune did a lot of the work, she really got wiped out."

"I'll make sure I thank her when she wakes up." Ino replied.

"I thanked her last night." Tsunade smirked.

Ino went to the kitchen and pulled a table from the dining room and sat it next to the couple.

"So do you mind if," Ino tapped her two index fingers together, "I ask you about your relationship? I don't want to intrude or anything but, I kind of just started all of this…"

"Ask away but on one condition."

"What's that Hokage-sama?"

"I want free flowers."

"Really? That's all?"

"Well flowers are nice sometimes."

"That's why we're still in business." Ino Leaned back in the chair. Tsunade pulled the blanket back up and over Shizune and herself.

"So how did you two get started?" Mentally she was paper and Tsunade's words the pen.

"I'm not proud to admit it, but Shizune here once had a family. Her husband beat her a lot, and I was just her older friend. She had two kids, but I don't know what happened to them. Anyway, she shows up at my doorstep about twelve years ago, she's had enough. She was beaten and bruised. She lacked confidence and had doubts about being a mother. Over the next year we go to know each other really well. Then we got drunk one night." She paused, her eye's full of reminiscence.

"Truth be told Ino, I don't remember what all happened. We got drunk, made comments about how shitty life was, and then started talking about each other. We ended up together the next morning. It's been the same for the last ten years."

"wow."

"I'm lucky to have her."

"It would seem so."

"Blood red roses."

"hmm?"

"The first pair of free flowers I want are Blood red roses."

Xxxxxx

Ino, always a stubborn and relentless ninja, decided that the best thing for her was to clear her mind and leave the apartment. She started jogging, with no destination in mind, much to the complaint of her broken ribs. Early in the morning it may be, but even in the cold winter merchants were already lining shelves in one of the local markets with wares from warmer parts of the region. fresh fruits summoned from far away Suna lined shelves, exotic local grown fruits in an abundance of colors fish with rainbow scales and still reeking of fresh salt and many other different sights and colors filled the stalls.

Ino limped on through the market at a slow jog avoiding the cadence calls of vendors who had set their wares up earlier then others. She had left Tsunade with Shizune still atop her when she had left. Albeit she was perplexed, how could Shizune leave her kid s behind if the father was so terrible? Ino pushed it from her thoughts and continued on past a Wal-Mart that she realized she had seen only two nights ago.

Then a little thought bubble of a thought popped into her head. Why not cheek out the club she had gone to in the daytime, maybe Sarooko would be there, or maybe at her home only fifteen minutes' drive by car. Sarooko didn't strike Ino as the kind of early partier but she would continue onto the club anyway.

So Ino jogged on. When she got to the club finally, the door only waved her through. Ino opened the door and looked around for a good while, but ultimately left satisfied in knowing that Sarooko was not there.

So Ino rested and bought a coffee down the street from the club in a little mom and pop shop that had been open for the last two decades and decided 'the fuck with it' and also ordered up the greasiest fattest most delicious apple fritter she had ever tasted. When the platinum blonde was finished with her coffee and looking at the gradual amount of snow and foot traffic the cityscape had to offer she bid the two adieu, tipping them two dollars extra on a three dollar tab, and left in the pursuit of where she thought to remember where Sarooko lived.

It was twenty minutes later that Ino arrived at what was to her eye Sarooko's house, and gave a eager three bang rasp of her fist on the door. The door opened and to her surprise a very dashing man answered.

"You knocked?" he asked politely wrapped up in a blue and white vertical stripped bath robe.

"Yes, is Sarooko here?" Ino asked generally puzzled.

"uh again? I'm sorry it's just me and my wife always get her visitors here, maybe it's because our houses look the same. She lives two doors down." The man pointed in her direction. Ino blushed

"I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"eh, it happens." With that he shut the door calmly in Ino's face and Ino walked down the steps slightly embarrassed at her mistake.

Two doors down she rapped on the door again. The door opened and Sarooko's beautiful slightly freckled face emerged from behind the door.

"Ino-Chan!" she exclaimed as she barreled into the girl and squeezed her. Ino grunted in pain and Sarooko pulled back stung as if she did something wrong.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked quizzically.

"No," Ino grunted and held her sides for a little bit, messaging them, "but I don't think the hospital would take to kindly to you breaking my ribs again."

"Oh No." Sarooko put a hand to her mouth in shock and felt along Ino's side.

"I'm sorry Ino." She looked up at the platinum blond girl.

"It's okay."

"Would a kiss make it feel better?" she asked posing her index finger on her mouth in a seductive way.

"Most definitely" Ino replied, and to Ino's great satisfaction at Sarooko's cuteness, Sarooko leaned up and placed a tender but small kiss on the blond's mouth. Then Sarooko's tongue worked its way in and Ino fought back with her own. A lie would be to say that the blond did not crave more. Another lie would be to say that the blond did not realize at the back of her mind that they had seen each other twice before and that this may just be a lust and not pleasure experimentation. Even through it all, even though knowing she loved Sakura, she couldn't fully say that she was gay. Hell maybe it was just a fling and what she told her friends the previous night was just a phase or a fling?

Sarooko backed off her toes and looked to Ino for some emotion from her work.

"wow." Ino could only reply. Sarooko smirked then turned a full grin of white teeth.

"Would you like to come in and out of this cold?" Sarooko asked. Ino nodded and realized as Sarooko was walking back in that the only thing the black haired girl was wearing was a pink thong and an almost see through pink top, which lay slung around her elbows, showing Sarooko's nude back. Surely enough Ino followed her in and closed the door. Ino turned around, and Sarooko was draped on the granite island, pencil in her mouth as she starred down at a sheet of paper as a kettle was slowly being warmed. She flashed a warm pencil in mouth smile to Ino and then continued on before she realized something and wrote it down hastily.

Ino walked into the kitchen area and sat down at one of the stools on the island. The able in the corner with the two perfect chairs was still collecting dust.

"Hot water'll be done in a minute," Sarooko chirped cheerfully through her still pencil in mouth, "hey Ino do you know a word for a flower that represents death?" she inquired.

"uh, Chrysanthemums" she replied.

"I have no idea in hell how to spell that."

"Neither do I, sorry"

"It's okay; you got me an answer in the crossword."

"You do crosswords?"

"Crosswords, Sudoku, scrambles, word jumbles anything that keeps my mind sharp."

"You're talking like an old person."

"Hey!" Sarooko punched Ino in her arms and Ino rubbed it gingerly "I'm not old. I'm twenty six for your information." Sarooko stuck her tongue out, and incidentally the water began to boil. Sarooko turned got out a cup, and turning back asked in a fake British accent "would you like some tea my lovely?"

"If you would be so kind my darling" replied Ino in her own. Sarooko took a second cup from the cabinet and closed it opening another above the stove and getting out a box of Lipton tea. She place one little packet into each one of the cups and then replaced the box back into the above the stove cabinet. The freckled girl took and turned the stove off, and poured a generous portion of hot water into the cups from a great height. She put the kettle back on the stove and handed a cup to Ino.

"Thank you." Ino replied and set the hot beverage down in front of her face, which she put against the counter and looked through the steam at Sarooko's face, which was staring back through her own cup.

"You know what Ino?" she asked softly.

"Hm?"

"You're a beautiful girl, no I'm sorry. A beautiful _woman_ and whoever had the pleasure and the honor of having your loved would be truly happy." Sarooko sighed.

"Sarooko, you've known me for all of two days' time and just barely, how would you guess that."

"You kissed me Ino. I was sick with a little cold and you covered me and kissed me."

"it seemed like the right thing to do."

"Even though you were so reluctant to admit it, I think you're gay. I think that what you did, and you coming back, has sealed it."

"Why would you say that?"

"Tell me Ino, please be truthful, even though we've only known each other for a few days, do you think of me? Think of what we together will be like? Have you gotten over your shyness that I realized you had?"

"I do Sarooko, but how would I know? I originally thought this would just be something to prove whether or not I was gay. I thought you were just looking for tale. I honestly don't know whether or not I'm in love with you. I barley know you. I know pretty much nothing about you, and you know pretty much nothing about me."

"Well then let's start. I want to know you Ino; you attract me like a bee top a flower in spring." Sarooko stood up and held out a hand, looking directly into Ino's Cerulean eyes.

"Hello, I'm Sarooko what's your name?" Ino stood up as well and shook hands with the girl three times.

"My name is Ino."

"Ino, a lovely name and if I'm no mistaken, is to mean or is akin to pig?" she inquired.

"Yes it is. What do you do for a living Sarooko?"

"I own the Nightclub you were at and all the others like it in the land of fire. "

"Wow how impressive."

"Yes, and what do you do oh sweet Ino?"

"I own a flower ship back home in Konaha with my family, and also work as a Ninja for the protection and security for the village hidden in the leaf. " Sarooko raise an Eyebrow.

"You're a Ninja? A real live Ninja Ino?"

"Yes I am, trained specifically in my abilities to read thoughts and throw my mind out of my body and if need be, and because they want me, the seductress corps."

"You are a very impressive one Miss Ino." Sarooko leaned in, "A seductress corps, eh? What might one do in such a place?" Ino blushed but continued on.

"We would, and have been trained to flirt with and seduce men, though there is a special group that focuses only on woman. We do this as to gain knowledge of our enemies and what they might do. We do this, in the most extreme cases, to bury a knife in between their ribs." Ino leaned in, faces centimeters apart.

"You are most interesting Ino. I wonder if you ever learned anything that you have ever had to put to practical use."

"Never, for I have never had sex, and though am embarrassed to admit it, have never even dated someone in all my life even at my age of twenty four." Sarooko leaned in more, putting her hands on the countertop for balance. Ino leaned in closer.

"Would you like to try some of what you learned in my bedroom Ino?" she smiled.

"I would not know how to start, but alas, naughty thoughts of how one might caress your beauty intrigue me." Ino leaned in, her vocabulary exhausted.

"Then follow me Ino of Konaha, Ninja and seductress, to my bedroom, where I will teach you in such schoolings." Sarooko took Ino's hand and led the blond girl upstairs to her bedroom where Ino had awoken only a day ago. Sarooko turned Ino, so that she was facing the door way. Sarooko leaned up again on her tippy toe's and kissed her, full on the lips her tongue slipping in just as Ino began to fight a match with her for dominance. Sarooko pushed Ino down on her bed, which landed with a moan of pain from her lips as her damaged ribs ached in protest .Sarooko mounted her, the pink thong pressed against the baggy sweat pants.

"Oh poor baby, where does it hurt?" Sarooko wasted no time in stripping the Platinum Blond of her hoodie and then fondling her now exposed breasts. Sarooko leaned in and began to flick her tongue across Ino's pink red nipples. She let out tight high pitched moans. Sarooko took and pinched Ino's nipples between her thumb and forefinger, rolling the one she wasn't currently suckling. She switched breasts.

"My my Ino, so much flesh to touch." She smirked in between suckling and biting.

"Oh God Sarooko! Please, More! I NEED MORE!" Ino moaned. Sarooko laid butterfly kisses from Ino's mouth down to her neck down to her perfect breasts, to her bandaged sides, to just below her belly. Sarooko stopped and looked deep into Ino's pleading eyes, satisfied that the role of foreplay was over. Sarooko removed her pink top, exposing her fantastically cream white skin and luscious perky breasts.

"Did you want to touch?" She asked. Before Ino could reply Sarooko took one of her hands and placed it palm down on one of her lovely perky breasts. Ino gave a tight squeeze. Sarooko gasped and then turned it into an almost feral growl.

"I want you to touch me more. Touch Me. Make me feel on fire Ino!" And Ino obliged moving Sarooko Up best that she could without crushing her already aching ribs. By the force of something of gravity, Sarooko's lovely breasts hung down, allowing for Ino to touch every inch of Sarooko's very sensitive chest. She licked a long trail of saliva up from the crevice of her chest to Sarooko's mouth, where they met in a sloppy passionate and somewhat painful kiss as Sarooko adjusted her weight to better kiss Ino. Pain mixed with pleasure and the fact that she was actually doing what she had wanted to the first night, made her all the wetter. Sarooko buried her face in Ino's neck and licked the outside of her ear, then moved down her jawline, nipping, biting and liking the soft flesh. She worked her way down Ino's throat, making sure no piece of her flesh was left untouched, unravished by her tongue before arriving at the crux of her shoulder and neck, and biting down hard. Ino moaned in ecstasy as once again pain and pleasure combined. Sarooko grinned against Ino's now marked flesh and trailed her tongue down to the hem of Ino's sweat pants. Slowly so fucking slowly that Ino thought she would scream if Sarooko did not hurry up, Sarooko lowered Ino's sweat's with her teeth before she ripped off the pants with her hands when it was low enough. Ino's white panties were all that stood between Sarooko and Ino's throbbing wet sex.

"Do you want me to touch you Ino?" she asked in a purr, placing her hands on either thigh and slowly rubbing them forward. Ino trembled from the sexual electricity.

"Please, Yes."

"Yes what Ino?"

"Please, please for the love of god don't tease me!"

"What is it you want me to do Ino?"

"Please- please! Please F-"

"Yes?"

"Please Fuck Me." Ino moaned as the ever working hands reached the very most outside of her womanhood.

"You want me to fuck you?"

"Yes! YES YES YES YES GOD PLEASE!"

"Well How do you want me to? Like this?" Reaching a delicate finger out she began to stroke the very slit through the soaked almost translucent panties. Ino just about lost it.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD FUCK ME!" she cried.

"For you anything." And Sarooko bent down and began gliding her tongue around Ino's already gushing slit. Ino moaned and bucked under Sarooko's talented tongue. Felling wetter herself, Sarooko slipped a hand into her thong and began to play with herself, pulsing two fingers in and out. She stopped with her tongue and moved into a sixty nine position with Ino.

"If you would be-"she stopped as she felt an eager tongue start to swirl round her entrance. "AHHH Yes that a girl!" She replied getting back to her work on Ino's womanhood. Ino, though less experienced she may be, made up for it with wild enthusiasm. As Sarooko was inserting two fingers into her core and licking at her clit Ino was redoubling her efforts, inserting three fingers in to the older woman and licking all the places that would make Sarooko moan. Sarooko fought back and it on Ino's clit. Ino came in a high pitched squeal of a voice squirting over the general vicinity including Sarooko's face, and I her defeat flicked her tongue and fingers wildly trying to make Sarooko ride out an orgasm with her, which happened as Sarooko squirted on Ino's face. Sarooko turned around and collapsed on Ino and the two deftly began to lick their fingers clean of the other and the others face clean of their own juices. Finally they were done and panting, deciding not to go onto round two.

Sarooko turned to Ino, naked in her creamy goodness and hugged Ino deeply, Breast to Breast; she put her Head to Ino's ear.

"What now Ino of Konaha? What now o seductress and ninja? Would you believe yourself gay now? Would you believe yourself in love with me as I am of you in such a short time? "

"Yes I think I am Sarooko. I think I really may have fallen in love with you, and you are no less than the first person I have ever done anything with. I'm glad it was you." Sarooko buried herself in the nape of Ino's neck and Sarooko fell asleep in Ino. Before she closed her eyes in exhaustions to their physical activity, she gently thought of how lucky she was to have found a girl so much like Sakura and somehow, infinitely better.


End file.
